The utilization of wheeled suitcases and luggage have been well known for many years. Usually most wheeled luggage includes either permanently mounted, collapsible and/or concealable wheels, which when placed in their operative positions, allow a traveler to easily transport their luggage from one location to another, e.g., from an airline terminal to a taxicab stand.
For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,472,491 to Quinton and 4,228,877 to Cothary, both show wheeled suitcases having concealed and collapsible wheels, the wheels being easily collapsible and hidden to a position within the suitcase when not in use. However, these above-mentioned patents make no provision for carrying or hauling additional luggage on top, within or adjacent to luggage of this wheeled type. In other words, wheeled luggage of the present day are not capable of carrying additional articles other than those already held within the luggage itself, and are not particularly adapted for transporting additional luggage or other baggage when placed on top or fastened thereto. Due to the increasing number of tourists and travelers, mainly caused by the high costs of operating automobiles and the recent low fares of air travel, obtaining aid from porters, key caps, and bellhops, is not readily available to transport traveler's baggage.
Hence, in more recent times, attempts have been made to accomodate travelers hauling more than one piece of luggage so that when moving from one location to another, a traveler can easily transport all of their baggage in one trip, easily and effortlessly. For example, the U.S. Pat. No. 4,647,056 to Baker, discloses a portable luggage carrier which is collapsible and lightweight to permit a user to place and stack luggage thereon when the carrier is in its operative position. While this type of wheeled luggage carrier is simple to erect and use, a traveler still must transport the carrier in addition to carrying other baggage, particularly when the carrier is not in use, which is generally more frequent than not. Thus, when the carrier is not in use, a user must contend with the cumbersome problem of also hauling the carrier.
Furthermore, portable carriers for transporting luggage are not specifically provided with means for seating and transporting small children, nor do these carriers incorporate compartments for holding need-to-get-to items, such as passports, licenses and tickets, which would be of great convenience to tourists and travelers especially when dragging all of their baggage from one location to another. Moreover, the portable luggage carrier, such as shown in the Baker patent, can only carry baggage when placed in its carrying position, making no essential use of the portable carrier to a traveler when the carrier is not in use.
In addition, unsuccessful attempts have been made over the years to employ wheeled carriers with folding and collapsing capabilities while simultaneously having the ability to carry personal articles therein, in other words, luggage which can be converted to a luggage carrier while maintaining its conventional use of holding personal belongings, such as clothes and bathroom accessories, in tact during travel. The U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,456,932 to Dostal and 3,677,569 to Carson, both disclose foldable vehicles which when folded to a carrying and transporting mode, have the ability for storing articles therein. However, these above-mentioned patents show foldable wheeled carriers which when placed in a non-operative position, greatly reduce the volume of space to store articles due to the foldable components of the vehicle's body during idle conditions. Further, these convertible carriers of the wheeled type, prohibit storage of personal items within the carrier during the operation of the carrier in its carrying mode. The above-discussed Larson patent, illustrates a foldable wheeled vehicle for providing a workman's crawler when the vehicle is in an open, unfolded position, and a tool carrying box when the vehicle is in a closed, folded position. Unfortunately, when the vehicle is in the crawler mode, the tools once held within the vehicle must be removed to allow a workman to use the crawler, thereby preventing the simultaneous capability of the device to carry both a workman and his tools.
Moreover, no prior luggage or suitcase has previously been available which can simultaneously provide both luggage carrying means for carrying luggage thereon when the luggage is converted to a luggage carrying position and having the conventional ability to store and carry personal articles therein. There is a great need for a suitcase having a self-contained wheeled carrier for carrying other baggage thereon while including conventional ability to store clothes and other personal articles therein, regardless of the position of the carrying means, especially when the carrying means is in an inoperative position. Furthermore, the use of a lightweight and easily foldable suitcase incorporated with a concealable, self-contained and convertible carrier, would be extremely helpful to all travelers, particularly to those traveling with more than one piece of luggage. Additionally, luggage equipped with convertible carriers having the facility to carry small children as well as other luggage, would be of great advantage and importance. Hence, a combined suitcase and portable carrier could greatly benefit travelers throughout the world.